Researchers from Shanghai Ocean University recently discovered three new fish species endemic to China: Beaufortia viridis, Beaufortia granulopinna and Microdous hanlini. The research papers on these discoveries were published in the international academic journals "Zoosystematics and Evolution" and "Zootaxa."
Beaufortia viridis. /Courtesy of Chen Haojun
According to Professor Tang Wenqiao of Shanghai Ocean University, Beaufortia viridis is a unique fish species found in mountain streams in central Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and western Yunnan Province. Its body is deep green with zebra-like black stripes, and it can adhere to rocks like a disc. Locals aptly call it the "green zebra."
Through field investigations, the research team collected specimens, photographed and measured their morphology and extracted and sequenced their DNA. The results showed that the "green zebra" is genetically 5.20 percent divergent from the most closely related known species, far exceeding the genetic divergence of most known species in the group. It is therefore a new species, and the team has named it Beaufortia viridis.
Beaufortia granulopinna. /Courtesy of Pu Xinrui
While investigating the distribution and population status of Beaufortia viridis, researchers stumbled upon a group of fish in the Yunnan-Guangxi border region that resembled Beaufortia pingi. However, these fish had a unique feature: their pectoral fins were adorned with rows of pearl-like tubercles, a trait absent in other populations.
Intrigued, the research team sequenced the DNA of these specimens and made an exciting discovery: the genetic distance between this species and Beaufortia pingi was a remarkable 11.15 percent, far exceeding the divergence typically observed within the same genus. This substantial genetic differentiation strongly indicated that they were dealing with another new species. The team named this remarkable fish Beaufortia granulopinna.
Microdous hanlini. /Courtesy of Li Chenhong et al.
In addition, Professor Li Chenhong's team at Shanghai Ocean University has also recently reported the discovery of a new fish species endemic to China in the renowned zoological journal "Zootaxa." This new species, named Microdous hanlini, is the second new species in the genus Microdous discovered by the team after Microdous amblyrhynchos. It is found in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and is named in honor of Professor Wu Hanlin, a renowned ichthyologist at Shanghai Ocean University.
(Cover image: Beaufortia viridis. /Courtesy of Chen Haojun)